


it can wait, we have time

by SerpentineJ



Category: Ensemble Stars! (Video Game)
Genre: But overall pretty fluffy, M/M, references to The Past (TM)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-27
Updated: 2017-06-27
Packaged: 2018-11-19 21:48:45
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,126
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11322408
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SerpentineJ/pseuds/SerpentineJ
Summary: "Why do you hate it when I bring up the past around the students?" Jin smiles in his lazy way, the way that Akiomi had mistaken for confidence and satisfaction in the time of "Sagami Jin, Star Idol", and slides an arm around Akiomi's shoulders.Akiomi huffs. Jin doesn't smell like even a trace of alcohol for once, which is nice, because he's chastised his partner a hundred times about a) coming in to school buzzed and b) drinking on the job, so he doesn't brush him off like he usually would."It's not the past I mind." He grumbles. "There are matters that are public, Jin, and there are matters that are... personal."





	it can wait, we have time

**Author's Note:**

> NOTE: theyre both 178 cm bye

Jin finds Akiomi after most of the students have gone home. He's sitting at his desk, a crick in his neck and pen balanced between his fingers.

"Grading?" He announces his presence, walking up to him.

Akiomi doesn't turn around, because after fifteen years, he recognizes Jin's voice before the second syllable has a chance to lift off his tongue.

"Of course." He sighs. The sheet music under his fingers- a student's misguided attempt at song composition- is littered with red marks and comments penned in neat characters. The familiar marks of Akiomi's wrath.

Jin snorts.

"Not a little mean, are you, Akiyan?" He rubs a hand on the back of his neck. "Remember how hard you used to work on your compositions?"

Akiomi flushes.

"Why do you hate it when I bring up the past around the students?" Jin smiles in his lazy way, the way that Akiomi had mistaken for confidence and self-satisfaction in the time of "Sagami Jin, Star Idol", and slides an arm around Akiomi's shoulders. 

Akiomi huffs. Jin doesn't smell like even a trace of alcohol for once, which is nice, because he's chastised his partner a hundred times about a) coming in to school buzzed and b) drinking on the job, so he doesn't brush him off like he usually would.

"It's not the past I mind." He grumbles. "There are matters that are public, Jin, and there are matters that are... personal."

Jin laughs at him. Akiomi rolls his eyes.

"Want to come to my place?" Jin asks, propping himself up on Akiomi's shoulder. "We can watch a movie."

Akiomi taps his pen.

"I'm busy." He says.

Jin sighs. 

"You always did work too hard." He moans melodramatically. The only reason Akiomi doesn't either hit him for the display or push him away is there's no students here to bear witness- they're not at home, or somewhere else that's private.

"You only say that because any modicum of effort seems like a mountain in comparison to your abject slacking." Akiomi scolds him. "What example does that set for the students?"

Jin grins.

"I know something that definitely won't set a good example." He murmurs, pressing closer to his partner, and Akiomi does smack him away this time. 

"I still have work to do, Jin." He repeats in a tone that can only be described as exasperated. "You leave first, I'll be back later."

Their living situations are... to say the least, bizarre. Akiomi lives in a cleanly furnished, almost impersonally pristine apartment twenty minutes drive from the school, while Jin's commute to and from his messy, cluttered flat is only five by car or fifteen by foot- the question of why they haven't moved in together is one that neither of them have ever asked, even though they spend most nights at one place or the other. It's overly complicated and more than a little inane.

Kind of like them, Jin thinks idly, mind going back to a time where they stood on stage together with flowers pinned to their costumes, the crowd roared around them, and Akiomi asked him in that tight voice to stop calling him 'Akiyan' for the first time.

"Akiyan-" he whines now, acting like someone much younger than his age- though maybe that's because he had wasted the time when it had been appropriate for him to act like this in front of TV stations and behind closed doors with managers and contractors, with that fake, glittering smile on his face, listening to them talk about the best way to leverage children's dreams in order to squeeze the most profit out of them. "Skip out on work for one day. The kids won't care if you don't have their assignments back by tomorrow or the next day."

Akiomi glares at him. Good old stubborn, headstrong Akiomi. Despite how his character might have done a complete reversal over the past twenty years, some things are destined to stay the same- his temper, his determination and stupid dedication, and his faith in Jin.

"I will care." He mutters, turning back to his papers. 

Jin sighs. Looks like he's going to be waiting around the staff room for his partner to finish up. He pulls a rolling chair next to Akiomi's desk, feeling like a kid who's waiting for their mom to finish work so they can go home. Maybe Akiomi will give him a reward for waiting patiently. He snickers.

"You don't have to stay." Akiomi says without looking up. "I'll be at your apartment in half an hour. You can go first."

Jin leans on his partner's desk and props his chin up on his palm.

"Tenma-kun's number of discipline reports haven't gone down, have they." He changes the subject, and his lips quirk in an almost soft smile. "These are good kids."

"Well, Tenma-kun earns his discipline reports by climbing the building through the windows to the roof." Akiomi mutters, circling another grade at the top of whatever page he's marking in red ink. "Harukawa-kun and Sengoku-kun too, for that matter, though Sengoku-kun seemed to be apologetic."

Jin chuckles.

"Yeah." He says. "Remember when we were kids? I bet you would have gotten along well with them, with your go-lucky attitude."

Akiomi glances at him from the side of his field of vision, barely turning his head.

"You're sentimental today." He observes, setting down his pen and leaning back in his seat for a moment.

Jin shrugs.

"The past is the past." He says, a knowing, content smile spreading across his face. "At least coming here meant I got to meet you, Akiyan."

Akiomi flushes.

"Well, I'm sure you would have met as many interesting people no matter where you'd gone." He murmurs, turning back to his work. "You're that kind of person, Jin."

Jin grins.

"None of them would have been as special as you." He admits, sighing, that smile still on his face, warm eyes on his partner. "What's that I said, that time? Don't lose to anyone, Akiyan."

Akiomi huffs.

"You said that so confidently..." He rolls his eyes, but exhales and caps his pen. Jin blinks. Akiomi sets his writing utensil carefully in the cup at the corner of his desk and stacks the papers he hasn't graded back in the pile, standing up and stretching his legs.

"Eh? Don't you still have work to do?" Jin shoves his hands in the pockets of his coat. "I don't mind waiting."

Akiomi shakes his head.

"It can wait until tomorrow." He says, taking off his glasses to clean them with the special cloth he keeps in his pocket, and slotting them back on his nose to look at his partner. "You said you had a movie at your place?"

Jin laughs.

**Author's Note:**

> NOTE: cant believe it took me this long to write akijin.....
> 
>  
> 
> [tumblr](http://kimishitaatsushi.tumblr.com/)  
> [writing twitter](http://twitter.com/serpentinej>twitter</a>%0A<a%20href=)


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